Mark Richt Deserving of Extension with Georgia Bulldogs

By Tim Letcher

Daniel Shirey, USA TODAY SPORTS

The Georgia Bulldogs gave head coach Mark Richt a two-year extension on Wednesday. From the reaction of the Bulldog nation, it wasn’t a warranted move.

Georgia fans would point out that the Bulldogs have not won the SEC championship since 2005 despite having talent that should compete for the title each season. And while Richt has had some teams underachieve, he is certainly deserving of the extension.

What those Georgia fans, or detractors, fail to look at is the big picture. Richt has a record of 136-48 during his tenure in Athens, which equates to a .739 winning percentage. Basically, he wins three out of every four games he coaches. That winning percentage is fourth among active coaches who have coached at least 100 games. Richt has led his team to 14 straight bowl games, two SEC titles and five SEC East titles.

In his 14 seasons at the helm of the Bulldogs’ program, Richt has had nine seasons with at least 10 victories. And it was just three seasons ago that Richt and the Bulldogs were five yards short of playing in the national championship game.

Richt did an outstanding job with his 2014 team. The Bulldogs had an average quarterback in Hutson Mason and its Heisman Trophy candidate, running back Todd Gurley, was limited to six games due to an NCAA suspension and a knee injury. Despite those limitations, Georgia was 10-3 in 2014, including a win over the Louisville Cardinals in the Belk Bowl.

If Georgia can answer its question at quarterback next season, there is no reason they can’t compete for the SEC East title. Running back Nick Chubb figures to be a Heisman candidate next season, and many other key contributors return for the Bulldogs.

Richt deserves the extension he received, even if some Georgia fans don’t think he does.

Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.